Cat's Cradle
by Dear.Leaf
Summary: After a strange chain of events, Tadase finds himself strapped down into a bed at Easter HQ. Ikuto and Utau are left to watch over him as he falls into the deep reaches of insanity and Ikuto finds himself making the hardest decision he's ever had to make
1. The Undeveloped Story

The taller boy wrapped his slender arms around the blond's back. It felt odd. Uncomfortable. Wrong. Although the other boy seemed not to mind, Hotori Tadase couldn't help but feel a little awkward. How had things even ended up like this? Ikuto started to work on the buttons on the blond's shirt as Tadase began to fidget uncomfortably.

As the white fabric of his shirt slid off of his body, Ikuto's fingers danced along the skin of Tadase's lower back, teasing the blond into submission. His heart was racing, His head was reeling. This needed to stop. It just wasn't right.

"…I-Ikuto…Stop!"

But he just wouldn't. Tadase opened his mouth to continue his plea but Ikuto was eager to stop him. Tadase made a funny noise in the back of his throat when their lips pressed together. When Tadase had agreed to this game, he had no idea what he had gotten into. It was a mean game. A game to the cruelest decree. And yet Tadase had fallen for it; Hook, line, and sinker. He had been lured in with false hope. And then Ikuto pulled away.

But this game just wasn't possible to win.

The blond cried out in pain as the older boy nipped his ear, his hand moving in a circular motion on his stomach. It was just too much. The boy cringed as Ikuto's lips slowly moved from his ear to his lips, leaving a trail of saliva behind. Ikuto's mouth pressed against Tadase's. The catboy's quickly found a way to slip his tongue inside. It was horrifying.

And then he began to panic. In the spur of the moment, Tadase roughly pushed the boy away and retreated to the opposite corner of the room. He was confused. A sudden chill came over him and he wrapped his own arms around his bare chest to retain some of degree of warmth. A feeling of dread swept through his mind and soul as he realized the consequences of his actions.

"…."

Ikuto said nothing. But Tadase knew better. The older boy was mad. His icy blue eyes did nothing but pierce through Tadase's defenses. The blond became frozen. Frozen on the spot. Tadase's face was that of a mixture of fear and desperation as Ikuto continued to creep closer and closer.

And there was nothing he could do. He had lost the game. As well as his chance of escape.

- - - - - - - - - -

_Tadase let something that deeply resembled a low but erotic moan escape his lips. He tossed and turned across his bed at an alarming rate, eager to find a comfortable position. He wasn't asleep, but he definitely wasn't awake. Golden rays pierced through his bedroom window, much to the boy's dissatisfaction. After a few more moments of struggling, se sat up in the mess of sterile white sheets, clearly defeated._

He yawned and shook his head to get the sleep out of his eyes. As he stood to wash his face, Tadase noticed his limbs had grown stiff and achy overnight. Growing pains. He grimaced and limped into his bathroom, passing the still-sleeping shugo.

It was getting worse, he had noticed. The less he tried to move, the more powerful the sudden pain that would surge through his body grew. As he shuffled into the tiled bathroom, he noticed just how hot he had become that night. His white flannel pants clung to him as if he had just emerged from a pool and had thrown on clothes before drying. His hair hung in damp locks that hand clumped together on his sweaty forehead.

He bit his lip as he tried to fix this, but then ultimately gave up and just turned on his sink.

It wasn't his fault. He had every reason to not want to stress himself out. Not this morning, anyway.

After finishing his daily routine of washing and primping, Tadase left his bathroom feeling even more pained by his sore legs and arms. He jumped in surprise upon seeing Kiseki, now fully awake, sitting at the table and drinking tea. He almost never saw his 'would be self' anymore. It almost seemed like Kiseki was purposely trying to steer clear of the boy. Which was pretty odd, if you know Shugos are supposed to be helping you to your goal of becoming someone different, but Tadase didn't press any charges.

"Good morning."

Kiseki nodded his head in acknowledgement and tore off a piece of chocolate chip waffle; his latest obsession. The blond limped over to his dresser and pulled out one of his many pairs of school uniforms he had purchased just days ago. The pain that surged through his entire being was almost enough to make him want to cry.

"…Tadase." Kiseki spoke apathetically as he finished off the tea. "I shall not be joining you at school today."

"…But why not? It's the first day of school, too."

Tadase frowned. He knew this was going to happen.

"Royal business." The shugo said in a very formal tone, leaving no room for emotion or any sort of feeling. He stood and brushed off the few crumbs of waffle that had fallen on him, trying to make a big deal of it.

"Oh…" Tadase said warily as her pulled his sock up to cover his shin. "See you later then."

The shugo nodded and silently left the room. A few moments of pure quiet passed after Kiseki had left. It was a little odd…, not having any one there. Tadase groaned as a cramp began to form in his right leg. This was definitely not the way he had planned to start his first day of 7th grade. As he left the room, he couldn't help but stare at himself from a mirror on a wall.

He had begun to notice the changes to his own body over the past few weeks. His arms and legs seemed too long and lanky for the rest of his body. There was a tiny blemish near his left ear. His hair had begun to lose a bit of its sheen. It was the little things like this that had started to bother him.

But oh no, he had noticed this in others too. Kukai had even started to grow hair under his arm the previous year. Even Amu and Yaya's chest had started to grow out.

The boy just shook his head and tore his eyes away from the mirror. Tadase left his house feeling nervous and uncomfortable. Last year, when he went to Seiyo Elementary, he would turn right down his street. Now he went left. He guessed everything else was changing all around him after all. It was only natural he would too.

As he entered the school grounds, he had begun to take notice of just how large the boys who had attended the same school as himself years ago had become. It was a little unsettling. He couldn't help but feel a bitter taste in his mouth. A few of them had even gained a few obscure hairs on their chins and above their lips. This made his stomach flop uncomfortably. His mouth was set in a fine line as he quickened his pace and lengthened his stride.

A wave of relief rushed over the boy as he spotted Kukai standing near the school entrance with his back towards Tadase. He was talking to a pretty brunette girl. He sighed, happy he had found someone he knew. Just as Tadase took the first step towards Kukai, The older boy grinned and leaned in towards the girl. Their lips met. No hesitation on Kukai's part whatsoever. Time stopped there and then for the Hotori.

Tadase felt sick to his stomach. Unfortunately for him, Kukai had taken notice of his presence by now.

"Yo! Princy-boy!" Kukai exclaimed as he jogged over to the blond, the girl he had kissed following behind with timid steps. "Welcome to middle school!"

"…Thanks." Tadase said weekly as he tried to smile. It was hard. "I think I'm missing elementry already."

"Hm? Are you feeling alright? You seem a little pale…" Shrugging the matter off, Kukai took this as an opportunity to introduce the girl standing beside him. She was smiling as if nothing had just happened.

"This is Annabelle." Kukai grinned as he slung his arm around her shoulders. "She's my girlfriend."

She seemed like a nice girl, So Tadase mustered up a polite smile and shook her hand. But god, he was cringing on the inside. Since when did Kukai have a girlfriend? Since when had he _**wanted**__ one? Why the hell had he changed so much? He couldn't help but feel a little betrayed by the former Jack's Chair._

"Nice to meet you!" She giggled as she released Tadase's hand. "Kukai's told me so much about the guardians. I'm sure you'll have fun here too."

"Thanks. It's a pleasure to meet you." Tadase smiled, another fake, and turned once more to Kukai. "Is everyone else here yet?"

Kukai thought for a moment before answering. "Rima is upstairs with Hinamori…" There was a pause as his eyes swept over the courtyard. "Ah! There's Nagihiko now!"

"Na…gihiko?"

Tadase looked to his side to see a feminine boy with long, dark purple hair smiling back at him. He looked vaguely familiar. Tadase seemed to have a little trouble placing a finger on where he could have possibly seen him though. It might have been partially because he was still pretty shaken up by the event he had witnessed just moments before.

"…Nadeshiko?"

Kukai glanced at the boy with a questioning look in his eye. The feminine boy shrugged and looked away, obviously feeling a little guilty. Tadase looked from one to the other than back again. They were keeping something from him.

"You didn't tell him?" Kukai blinked in confusion and he scratched the back of hi head. When the boy just shook his head 'no', Kukai frowned. "Oh. Well, this is Nagihiko. He used the name Nadeshiko when he pretended to be a girl."

Tadase mouth was agape as he looked from Kukai to Nagihiko then to Kukai once more. Kukai looked a little bewildered as 'Nadeshiko' bit his lip. The later was avoiding Tadase's questioning gaze. When the blond spoke, he spoke primarily to Nagihiko.

"…How did you know this?"

"Whatcha talking about?" Kukai said offhandedly, not really catching on. "We all knew."

Nagihiko frowned and looked Tadase strait in the eye. Something about the boy's eyes made Tadase was to hide and stay there. While there was a general overlook of guilt and regret in his eye, Tadase could have sworn he saw some sort of laughter. Was this boy mocking him?

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you! I really am… I just thought you knew…"

"So…You mean for all these years…?"

Nagihiko nodded, a grim look upon his face. Kukai's eyes darted from Nagihiko to Tadase then to Nagihiko again, not to sure what to expect. This was the boiling point for Tadase. He just couldn't take it anymore. He felt rage surge through his very being, climaxing at his core.

So he did the first thing that came to mind. He shoved Nagihiko out of the way and ran, disgusted.

He sprinted off of school ground, his pulse shooting off like a rocket. He honestly didn't care. He barely heard the 'thud' of his shoes falling on the pavement as he ran. Everyone and everything seemed to have turned on him in the span of a day. Kukai, Nadeshiko, Kiseki…Even his own body. They betrayed him.

The calamity that had drifted over him during break was suddenly shattered with such force it left Tadase speechless and stunned. It was almost as if his word at turned upside down. No…it was unbelievable. This must be a nightmare, Tadase told himself. He was confused. So fucking confused. So he would run…Then run some more.

He kept on going until he just couldn't anymore. He collapsed onto the dirt path he had just seconds ago been thundering down. Where was he? He hadn't even seen where he was going. He had nowhere to go. Nowhere to be. He panted as he struggled to regain himself and stand.

He couldn't help it. He just couldn't help it. Things were going way too fast. Changing too fast. He would never be able to keep up, even if he tried. He couldn't even get himself to move from the dirt covered road. He was pathetic. He just…stayed there. He gave up all together. He cast his weary eyes down as a warm, but strong, pair of arms lifted him off the ground.

He let his mind blank. As he lost consciousness, he didn't even bother to check to see who exactly had stolen him away. He didn't even care at this point. He was just fed up with everything.

---

When Tadase finally awoke, a surge of pain crept through his body. He grimaced as the slow but dull aches of pain numbed his body to anything else. He found himself in a semi-dark and small room. The walls were completely white with a single window to his left. The blinds were closed, but he could see a faint glimmer of light shine through them. The room was only big enough to fit himself and a metal chair beside him.

He was in a bed. He knew that much. Rough white sheets laid rumpled over his body, as if someone had just tossed them on him with no real care for him at all. He blinked, realizing for the first time just how hot he had become. Had he tossed and turned all night again?

What about yesterday?

It must have been a dream. Tadase nodded, forcing himself to believe this as a fact.

With a sigh of relief, the boy moved his hand to remove a sweaty clump of hair from his brow. When he realized his hand would not budge from its place, his eyes widened. Struck with panic, the boy grunted as he tried to move his limbs. He soon found they were not going to be moving from their positions any time soon.

Each arm and leg was chained to a different be post; his feet to the bottom two and his arms to the top two. His breathing began to quicken as he desperately strained himself to pull loose from the chains that bound him there. His eyes darted around the room but ultimately saw nothing more than the endless white.

One of the disadvantages about being in a completely white room, Tadase had noticed a few years ago, was that the shadows became much more apparent among the sea of white. They never went away during the day, those shadows. But they always taunted him as the sun went down, stealing the only source of light he had that shone in through the window. As soon as they disappeared, Tadase had become afraid. It was their territory.

Tadase was drawn from his panic as the door to the room creaked open.

"About time you woke up, Kiddy King…"The voice pierced through the once silent air, leaving it even heavier than it had been before.

The blond scowled. Ikuto. Of course. The stupid cat was always causing him problems. As he opened his mouth to retort Tadase found himself, much to his surprise, gagged. How he did not notice this earlier befuddled him. Ikuto only smirked as the blond began to yank on the chains in a form of protest.

"You better get used to this." Ikuto chuckled as he laid a single hand on Tadase's chest. He blinked as Tadase arched his back in an attempt to shake him off. "You might be here for a while."

Tadase's brow furrowed, a little shocked by the older boy's blunt words. He quickly stopped his movement, somewhat eager to here more. Ikuto used his index finger to trace a circle on his chest, causing Tadase to squirm. He seized the motion and took to opportunity to lean in closer to Tadase's face.

"Congratulations. You are now officially Easter's prisoner of war. You've been kidnapped." Tadase's flinched as Ikuto's breath was hot on his face. "You won't be leaving this room until the embryo is found and is in our hands."

Tadase could do nothing but glare back into Ikuto's cool blue eyes. He hated how helpless he was. The neko-mimi had every power just dangling over his head. But there was absolutely no way he would just lay back and let the older do what he pleased. Oh no, he wouldn't go down without a fight. Ikuto quickly sensed this feeling beginning to swell within Tadase.

Ikuto shot the blond possibly the most wicked smile he had ever seen. Then, in one swift movement, he bent down and kissed Tadase through the gag. He was careful to not press too hard as it would probobly be painful to the now retired King's Chair of Seiyo Elementary. Tadase began to fluster.

Ikuto pulled away and casually left the room, closing the door behind him. But before doing so, he was sure to give Tadase some final parting words.

"Welcome to hell…"

The blond spent the next two hours staring up into the ceiling, as if something was going to magicly appear and if he looked away even for a moment it would disappear. His eyes began to droop from exhaustion. Although he had slept plenty that day, for the last few weeks he had found it harder and harder to have any sort of extra energy.

But he had a problem. As hard as he tried to stop it, his mind often wandered back to Ikuto…and the kiss. That damn kiss. The boy scowled just thinking about it. As If being tied to a bed wasn't humiliating enough, Ikuto had gone the extra mile just to make him feel like this. But it would be alright, Tadase continued to tell himself, he would be out of here soon enough. His wary eyes soon darted to the door as it creaked open once more.

Ikuto sauntered in carrying a tray with a single bowl balanced near its center. He closed and locked the door behind him with a swipe of a coded card. This motion on its own ended all hope of Tadase's escaping.

"You hungry?" Ikuto asked with practically no emotion as he set his tray down to undo Tadase's gag. As the cloth fell down Tadase's chin, the boy began to fire off questions with no end in site.

"Ikuto! What are you doing!" He hissed, his voice coated with a hint of hatred. "Let me go right _**now**__!"_

Ikuto laughed as he stirred the substance in the bowl. It looked like some sort of soup substitute. He was enjoying every moment of this…Tadase could tell. And it annoyed him to no end.

"And why would I do that? I've always wanted a pet, you see"

"Pet!" Tadase scoffed, trying to retain the fierceness in his tone of voice. Unfortunately, his voice began to weaken and crack. "What…What do you want from me?"

Ikuto smiled to himself as he continued to stir the substance. Tadase frowned, confused at his subtle reaction. When Ikuto held a spoonful of the substance to Tadase's mouth, the blond just stared at it. He wasn't sure what to make of it. What if it was poisoned…? His mind began to race through all the possibilities.

"Utau made it." Ikuto finally spoke after a few moments of silence. "It's good."

"I don't want it."

"You need to eat."

"I refuse."

"Is that so?"

Ikuto had seemed to give up on this game. He instead placed his hand on Tadase's stomach and began to move down. It wasn't until Ikuto's finger found itself in the hem of Tadase's boxers did the blond hastily open his mouth. The older boy smiled in approval and poured the soup into Tadase's mouth.

"So you seem to like it when I do that…"

Tadase felt anger well up within him once more as his face flushed a deep crimson. He opened his mouth to deny this accusation, but soon found the gag being forced into his mouth once more and preventing him from saying anything. He was helpless all over again.

Ikuto then proceeded in lifting Tadase's shirt until the boy's midriff was exposed. By now Tadase was completely outraged, twisting and turning his body so much in made the bed creak with his every movement. Ikuto would admit it, he was interested in the boy.

"…I know. Let's make this a game." Ikuto mused apathetically. Tadase paused momentarily to listen. "If I can take every single article of clothing off of your body without you flinching, I'll let you go. But if loose your cool, your mine."

The game was not fair. That bastard had made sure of that. Tadase, who knew this, slit his eyes as he looked to the older boy. Only Ikuto would make a sick and twisted game like this. It always drove him off the wall just how twisted that one boy could be.

But Tadase knew there was a sliver of hope shining out through this messed up conflict. He knew Ikuto always kept his word about things like this, no matter what it was about. And it wouldn't be that bad…right? It would take five minutes at most. Five, long minutes in which Ikuto would have his disgusting claws touch run over his skin, touching and fondling.

But it would be okay, Tadase told himself, because freedom was worth it.

With a look of discomfort on his face, Tadase solemnly nodded. Ikuto smiled as he slipped a key out of his pockets to undo Tadase's chains. The blond had only a few seconds to enjoy the numbness of his body fade. Because, as soon as he had realized just what he had gotten into, it was too late.

It was a done deal.

- - - - - - - - - -

"You lost, Tadase." Ikuto said, his cold stare chilling Tadase to the bone. "Looks like you're mine."

The boy flinched. Ikuto had never called him by his name. And he had to admit, it was a little scary. But he said nothing. Tadase was full of self hate. He had actually had this one chance to escape but he blew it. And now he was stuck here.

With little to no emotion, he was perfectly silent as Ikuto returned him to his prior position. Tadase wouldn't meet the Easter agent's eyes as he relocked the chains, a small _clink_ echoing throughout the room. Ikuto then left, not really having anything left to say or do. And silence engulfed the room once more, leaving Tadase to his thought of what could be.


	2. Hello Alone

When Ikuto left, Tadase could easily tell it was mid-day. The semi-dim rays of light had lazily drifted in through the window blinds, only bothering to illuminate half of small the room. The wall with the door had remained shadowed and shrouded in mystery. Tadase, come to think of it, had no idea where he was. He didn't even know what the date was. Just how long had he slept? _Just how long had he been here?_

He pondered over these different variables as time went by. Slowly…slowly…slowly…The minutes ticked by, leaving Tadase feeling exactly the same way he did prior. Nothing changed. His only entertainment was watching the sun slowly creep away to its night-time hiding place, taking its illuminating light with it. Then, before Tadase even knew it, he was completely surrounded in darkness with nothing to do.

Nothing to distract his restless mind.

In situations like this, Kiseki would most definitely tell him to plot. But plot what? There was nothing _to_ plot. Tadase's future was destined to be laid out for him by Ikuto. …And on the topic of Kiseki, what had happened to his shugo? Questions that could not be answered zoomed through Tadase's head with no end in sight. He tried to stop. He was doing nothing more but torturing himself into submission.

In an effort to occupy himself with something less painful to his conscious, he tried to yank at his chains. As they held stiff and tight, he immediately gave up, deciding they clearly weren't worth his energy. During his weak attempt at freedom, he hadn't noticed the door creak open and shut, the faint click produced blending in with the rattling of his chains. But there before him stood a blonde girl with messy but boisterous pigtails framing either side of her face. It wasn't Ikuto.

It wasn't Ikuto.

It wasn't Ikuto.

But Tadase did vaguely recognize her. He had remembered numerous fights with this girl, along with the time he had flipped through Yaya's magazine she had once forget at his house. But he also remembered her from the deep reaches of his childhood. And there she stood, her cool gleaming eyes transfixed on the tray in her hands. Her mouth was pressed into a thin line. She must be tired, Tadase thought with a twinge of understanding, since he clearly knew the feeling.

She made quick work of feeding him, leaving as soon as Tadase's finished his meal. Tadase sighed through his gag, as he had hoped for a bit more eventful meal. But just as his mind began to wander, he felt his entire being overcome with an unbelievable feeling of exhaustion. It had been a long, weird day. No doubt about it. After trying to pull on his chains once more, he finally gave in to temptation and closed his eyes.

---

Needless to say, Tadase did not sleep well that night. He awoke both tired and cranky, deciding to take it out on anything he could. He thrashed in his bed all morning, ignoring the sweltering heat that soon blanketed the room. Or maybe it was just him. Either way, Tadase was not very happy with his current situation.

_But then again_, He had thought bitterly, _who would be?_

During the early hours of the day, Tadase had let his mind wander. It first drifted to Amu. He desperately wanted to let her know he was alive and in bearable conditions…Did she even miss him? And Kiseki. Who did Kiseki go to after realizing Tadase had not come home? Was his shugo alright?

He shouldn't have done that to Nagihiko, Tadase had told himself. Tadase would have had probably done the same himself.

And so for the majority for the day, Tadase just let time pass him by as he lay in bed and thought of the same things again and again. He would sometimes switch over to plotting his escape but that was rare. Breakfast and lunch passed in a thick haze; two Easter agents he had never seen before had fed him. By the time dinner came around, Tadase was fairly curious as to why he had not seen Ikuto today.

Tadase had eagerly watched the light fade from the window, counting down the seconds until the door opened, a cool rush of air entering the room. The blond craned his neck to see just who had arrived. He felt his spirits sink as he just barely saw strands of unruly blonde hair illuminated from the light behind the figure.

It was that girl again.

She said nothing as she undid Tadase's gag, only making a somewhat disgusted face as a trail of spit followed it out of his mouth. Since they really had nothing to say to each other, she quickly spoon-fed him in silence. Tadase noticed it was the same soup Ikuto had fed him the day before. He hadn't noticed till now, but the soup wasn't that bad. In fact, it wasn't bad at all. As soon as Tadase finished, he was able to get a few words out before the blonde could reach for the gag.

"…Did you make this…?" Tadase was surprised at just how pathetic he sounded. And it had only been a few hours since he spoke to the last agent that had come in to feed him. But he continued on, none the less. "…The soup, I mean."

The girl just sat there staring at him for a moment. She seemed to be surprised by his sudden question as she clearly had not expected it. She sat there holding the spoon in one hand, the other lying limp by her side. She thought to herself for a moment before finally responding, her voice flat and dull.

"What?"

"I asked if you made the soup."

"…Oh. Yeah. Sorry if it's no good."

"That's not it…" Tadase blinked as he shifted, trying to keep his arm from going numb. "It's really good."

"Oh?" At this the girl cracked a small smile. She set the spoon in the now empty bowl and leaned in to Tadase, her folded hands supporting her chin. "Are you trying to get out of here by sucking up to me or something?"

"Not at all." The boy replied, his polite nature taking over once more. "It's really good. I mean it."

"If you say so, kid." She rolled her eyes and the corner of her lip twitched. Although it was a small grin, it was still there. "What's your name?"

"Hotori Tadase."

"Oh…I suppose I should know that…," Her face fell at this. Tadase frowned. She became visibly colder, as if his very name annoyed her to no end. "…So _you're_ the one he talks about to no end…I still remember you from all those years ago…When we were kids…"

"Excuse me?"

She simply shrugged and cast her gaze elsewhere. Tadase heard a small sigh but had not seen any visible clues that proved it had come from her. After a few moments of silence, she shifted her gaze once more to him. The girl seemed to be fine now, most, if not all, the stiffness absent from her body.

"…It's nothing." She paused for a moment and sucked in her breath, spitting out the question she had been holding back for a while now. "Tadase. Do you like him?"

"…What!"

Upon seeing the scrunched up expression that clouded over Tadase's face, the blonde girl breathed a sigh of relief. She chuckled at his expression. When Tadase realized that was probably the end of that topic, he decided to try something different. Perhaps he could find someone to have company with while he was here.

"If you don't mind me asking," Tadase started innocently. "May I know your name?"

"…Do you really not know my name?" A fine eyebrow was arched as she looked at him in disbelief. Her jaw went lax as he frowned. "I'm Utau… Are you sure you haven't heard of me? Or seen me anywhere? We even grew up together."

"I know who you are as a person and by what you do…and I knew you from when we were kids," Tadase said sheepishly, a little guilty for admitting this. "But I didn't know your name or anything like that."

"I guess that's fine. I probably wouldn't know my name either if I was you." She said dully as if Tadase's words hadn't surprised her.

"Do you not like to sing?"

"Not really."

"Then why do you do it?"

"Ikuto wants me to."

"...That's no reason to do something."

The boy soon found himself scowling. It was just like Ikuto to manipulate people to get he wanted. Tadase was sick and tired of it. Ever since they were little, Ikuto had always used that on him. Tadase would do whatever the older boy had asked of him, no questions asked. None at all. He had followed Ikuto around like a lost puppy.

"Well," Utau spoke with a certain gleam in her eye Tadase thought he never would be able to understand. "I guess I just can't help it…"

She began to reach for the gag, sensing this conversation was over. Tadase didn't object. The conversation that would normally be no problem had left him drained both mentally and emotionally. The blonde girl gave him a wry smile before picking up the tray and leaving once more, a cool rush of air following in her wake.

Tadase felt a sort of bond between himself and Utau. They were alike in many ways, most including Ikuto in some way or form. They had both been used and manipulated by him. Tadase had realized this and had immediately broken off all ties with the said boy. Utau didn't seem to realize this as of yet. But Tadase knew.

The 'love' she felt towards Ikuto would go unrequited. Tadase himself had felt the bitter taste of rejection given to him by none other than the boy. It would not be long until Utau, too, would be cast aside and treated like trash. He knew how it would play out. He knew all too well. He, too, had felt the exact same willingness to do anything for the older boy just years before. He knew.

---

After depriving herself of any emotion, Utau began her long walk down the painstakingly white walls of Easter HQ. She solemnly and silently passed the doors of many others, just like Tadase, who posed a threat to the popular corporation. She pressed on, the ever present click clack of her heels making quite the commotion against the tile floor.

Tadase's final words sung out to her as if they were something preached. It was a little odd, hearing that from Tadase. He, in fact, had been the one who would cater to Ikuto's every whim and need in the blink of his almost translucent eyelashes. What exactly had caused him to change?

She continued to ponder over this question as if it held the very existence to life somewhere, befuddled, within the answer. Somewhere along the line, she too began to think about what exactly her drive was. It may have been Ikuto. Or did she like singing? She couldn't really tell, much to her utmost dismay.

"Utau…what's on your mind? Has that Hotori brat lost it already?" A voice chuckled from behind a dark corner, soon submerging itself into light and revealing to be Yukari Sanjou. She was blunt as ever, Utau noted as the older woman's eyes narrowed into gleaming slits. "I thought he would have lasted at least two weeks."

"…No." Utau spoke carefully and in her best attempt to ignore her manager's first question. "He seems fine enough."

"Oh? You actually spoke to him?" A small but perfectly measured smile graced Yukari's lips as she strained to catch Utau's averted line of vision. She eventually gave up and took the tray from Utau's already limp hands. "My, my…I thought you hated the boy."

"I do."

Utau soon grew annoyed of Yukari's prying eye and turned her blank stare to gaze directly at her. She had to be very careful, she reminded herself, as this woman was one of her key actors in this scene. She would not speak of Tadase's exchanged words. She would pretend it never even happened. If any word of this conversation were to leak that would mean Utau hadn't followed directions. Therefore, she would loose her job.

And that ment she could never help Ikuto. A strong inner monologue played in her mind. She just couldn't have that. She had to help Ikuto. She had to be his tool. She had to follow all directions given to her in such a precise way there was no room for her own thoughts. There must be no regret on her part. None at all.

"…Really."

"Yes. I didn't speak with him at all, just as you told me to."

"…Indeed. Well, since you seem to have free time, why don't you head up and practice for the grand opening of the new park." Yukari dismissed the blonde with an elegant swoop of her left hand, her right balancing the tray. "Ikuto is already up there. I'll go ahead and take this for you."

"Alright…" Utau tried to resist. She tried to stop herself with every being, every fiber, of her body. Sadly, it just wasn't enough. Without a second thought, she blurted it out. "Why am I not allowed to speak to him?"

"That's none of your concern." The women barked, shocking Utau. Without pause, two words groused from her lips. "Go practice."

And Utau did. There were just some things that were best not to press on about.

----

The next three days passed so quickly, that Tadase couldn't even find something important that had happened within them. As weird as being kidnapped was, life was surprisingly dull. Utau would feed him his meals, leaving him no time to speak before quickly rushing out of the room. And Ikuto had still not shown up. This left Tadase to watch the shadows float across the walls, extremely bored.

He had come to question his ideals lately.

He had come to question everything, honestly.

The sense of hope he had come to rely on was beginning to dwindle as the days flew by. The cold reality of the situation was enough to crush anyone's hope, he guessed. But oh, it had gotten old quite fast. There was now nothing fun about being tied to bed posts, not that there ever was, and being restrained.

It was interesting. He had gone from having every freedom in the world to this. He no longer was able to choose meal times. He could only use the restroom twice a day and a shower once every two weeks. The second part made sense, taking into consideration the fact that no one here really cared about what he looked like.

But, whatever their reasons may be, Easter had yet to dispose of him. Whether they held him for a higher ulterior or simply because they enjoyed toying with him was up for speculation. It was a toss up. A coin flip. A piece of paper pulled from a hat. Unpredictable.

But he was tired. Luckily for him, today would be different.

As the light just began to fade from his window, Tadase heard the door creak open. Ikuto casually walked in, the air around him sending off an easily distinguishable aura of unease. Tadase's cloudy eyes narrowed as a low growl emitted from deep in his throat. The cat boy sat down, not even hesitating for a moment, on the blond's bed right beside his legs.

He seemed… sad.

Without speaking a word, or even explaining why, Ikuto undid the chains that bound Tadase's bruised wrists to the posts. They fell limp by the younger boy's side as he immediately sat up. But as he did, a sharp pain ricocheted through his entire body, causing him to flinch. The dreary room seemed to be at a standstill for a short period of time.

"…Oh, the gag too…"

With a quick flick of his nimble wrist, Ikuto turned the key in the contraption. It slipped from the confused blond's face, a small _thud_ as it landed in his lap. Tadase just stared, his jaw slightly slack. His large, doe eyes staring up at Ikuto with only a faint trace of malice.

His shaky arm slowly rose as he used his weak hand to brush a few matted locks from his forehead. It was weird to have this freedom, however small. He would treasure it. The chance of free movement seemed almost like a far off dream at this point.

"…What do you want with me?"

Tadase's voice was soft; calm with an undertone full of hate. Ikuto didn't flinch. His Chara Change cat ears twitched, but that was all.

"Nothing." Ikuto shrugged, his gaze directed to an unknown spot of wall. "We're only doing this so the other guardians won't find you."

"We?" Tadase's hazy eyes glazed over as he thought. Why was he in Chara Change? Had something happened? Was there a fight? He wanted to know… He needed to.

"Easter."

"…"

Pause. By now Ikuto seemed to only be paying half of his attention to the blond. Either he was thinking really hard about something or he simply had nothing to say. After a few brief seconds, his lips curled, words forming on his thin lips.

"They're worried about you."

"What?"

"Your friends."

Tadase was shocked. He had completely forgotten. About the guardians, how this whole thing started… everything. The guilt that had momentarily hidden away was now back and eating away at him bit by bit. He felt simply horrible. Nagihiko… Oh god, Nagihiko. Tadase hung his head in shame as he could only guess what the boy was feeling now.

Terrible, maybe. The blond could only hope Nagihiko didn't blame this on himself. It was all his fault…Tadase just should have had been happy. He should have been excited that his old friend had returned after being away for years. But no. Tadase just _had_ to make a big deal about it and blow the thing out of proportion.

And Kukai. Kukai, the boy he considered one of his best friends, would never betray him. What the hell had he been thinking? Tadase groaned as the situation seemed to be growing only more and more depressing as the days went by and he was left the think.

"…Especially Hinamori. She was crying."

"…," Tadase paused, not sure what Ikuto's motives were. Was the older boy trying to drown Tadase in guilt? "Really?"

"She asked me if I knew."

"What?"

"If I knew you were missing."

"…You lied to her, didn't you?" Venom dripped from his every syllable as he desperately tried to remain calm and apathetic.

"You don't seem to understand the fact that you're kidnapped yet. Of course I did."

"…," Tadase sighed, realizing anger would get him no where right now. He pursed his lips together to form a thin line, wondering what approach he could take. And then something hit him like a brick wall. "Ikuto…What will happen to Kiseki since he's not with me now?"

Ikuto's eyes flashed his way before averting their gaze once more. His ears flattened against his head, showing hesitation in the older boy's response. He seemed to ponder this question for a short period of time as Tadase waited patiently for his answer.

"He will probably continue on his own for maybe a week or so…After that, it's a possibility he will disappear all together. But since you're the King's Chair…," Ikuto seemed to grow uncomfortable with this topic. "He'll probably disappear and reappear again as an X-Character."

Tadase's mind needed a moment for this to register. No…nononononono. He collapsed on his back, completely defeated. His mouth mumbled that same word again and again as his eyes squeezed closed. No…no no no no no not going to happen there was no way not at all **NO**. Ikuto frowned and glanced at the boy through the corner of his eye.

The room was spinning around Tadase. The walls darkened into a solid black, Ikuto's dark frame barely standing out as a monotone. He felt a burning sensation creep up the back of his throat. It stung so bad. Tadase soon entered a coughing fit, his eyes watering under the unbearable strain.

"Kiseki…He'll…He was…" He couldn't continue. He just couldn't. He couldn't find the heat to.

"X-Characters aren't that bad…"

Unfortunately, nothing Ikuto could say would comfort Tadase now. The blond boy was feverishly red, his overall complexion turning quite blotchy. His lips sped over the same word over and over again as his eyes darted about the room, wide and dimly illuminated with the last of the sun's warm light.

He was falling into darkness.

He had already snapped.

---

_Drip. _

Mmm…

Drip.

Eyes the color of the midnight sky drifted open, lazy. He blinked once, twice, three times before pushing himself into an upright position.

Drip.

Where was he? His hands swiftly explored the area around his body, searching through the black for some sort of light. The ground felt moist and flexible under his touch.

Drip.

Was it grass? Yes, yes it was. The fact that he could not see anything but black was pushed to the back of his mind as his left hand soon met something that blocked his search.

Drip.

It felt like skin. The boy cocked his head to the side, curiosity driving him mad. It was skin…now if only he could see who the hell it was. But, he realized, his curiosity dwindling into fear, the skin was cold.

Drip.

Far too cold to be flesh belonging to a human…well, a living one at least.

Drip.

And wet. Too wet and sticky.

Drip.

He grit his teeth together and resisted the sudden urge to draw his hand back. He wanted to know.

Drip.

What the hell was that fucking sound? It was driving him up the wall!

Drip.

God damn it! The boy snapped his arm back, using the still wet hand to cradle his head. The sound was sending every nerve on fire.

Drip.

He was going insane.

---

Ikuto's breathing suddenly sharpened as those same eyes shot open. His mind was distraught, completely enticed by the feeling he could have sworn his fingertips had just experienced. After a full minute of pure panic, the boy's breathing soon regulated as he managed to regain his grasp on his thoughts.

Again…It had happened again.

He had been having this same dream for a while now… But each time it changed. It would become much more vivid, much clearer. But that horribly maddening sound seemed to only grow louder.

And louder.

And louder.

Had he mentioned louder?

By now it was almost deafening. And there was nothing he could do to stop it.


	3. Change The World

_Hey hey everyone! Much love to all of you for reading this far, it means a lot seeing how I, like, barely seem to update. xD Sorry about that. But this chapter has a lot of blood, so watch out, okay? Enjoy! And just so you know, The weird ramblings like the one you are about to read is Tadase's thoughts. OH! And to answer a question, no, this whole thing is not a dream. The last scene in chapter two **was a dream Ikuto was having**. You'll be seeing quite a bit of it._

**Let's go! Enjoy!**

It's pretty ironic, you know. When I think back to how things used to be, I almost feel the urge to laugh. Almost. I used to wish for something exciting. But it was perfect back then… It really was.

And I took it all for granted, the bastard I am. I took it all for granted. Everything I loved, you know. Now I fight the temptation to cackle and think back to my foolishness.

I have changed. I think I might not be as rational I used to be, maybe a little crazy too. It wasn't hard. I'm surrounded by crazies everyday. Ikuto and Utau are crazy too, you know. This whole damn place is crazy. Fucking insane.

This is a wretched, rat infested hell hole. By rats, of course I mean Easter Agents. Same difference, right? It's almost like the Devil spawned this place himself. But no Devil would waste his time to make me miserable.

Oh, no. … That's Ikuto's job. He's better at it then any devil. Hehee… That Ikuto. What a bastard. And a thief, too. You know? It's all his fault. All his fucking fault.

… Oh my. Since when did I have such a dirty mouth?

Hahaa … I wonder you know?

* * *

"Eat. Open your mouth."

"…"

"You need to eat. Look at yourself, you're a mess."

"…"

"Look, there's no use moping about this sort of thing."

"…"

"Damn it, open your mouth."

Utau growled in frustration and released the spoon from her hand. It landed on the standard plastic tray with a clatter, causing the two agents present to flinch. Ikuto grimaced from his position by the doorframe as Tadase's face remained just as blank and indifferent as it had been hours before. Utau couldn't help but allow her anger to melt at the pitiful sight. She sighed, picking up the spoon, and tried once more.

"If you don't eat, you'll starve… Tadase."

"…"

"…Ikuto, what are we going to do? This isn't working."

Ikuto frowned, his deep eyes traveling over the limp and completely devastated boy in bed. Tadase had turned a sickly pale color. His eyes had become sullen and dull compared to the light and innocent demur they once held. If you were to lift Tadase's shirt, chances are, you would only see skin and bone. Christ. He had fucked himself up.

"Tadase."

The boy said nothing. He instead tilted his head in Ikuto's direction, his hollow eyes piercing the Easter Agent like knives. Utau fought back a small gasp, quickly biting down on her lower lip. It had been a long time since the last time he had responded to anything.

"It's been five days since you last ate. Please eat."

"No."

And that was that. In his nearly emancipated state, Tadase could just almost slip his wrists through the hand cuffs. He hadn't tried it, though. Along those same lines, Easter hadn't even bothered to gag him as of late. He really didn't have anything to say. Utau was silent as she stood and left, leaving Ikuto and Tadase alone. She wanted to stay. But it wasn't her place to.

"Tadase."

"I don't want to."

"… Do I really need to feed you like I used to when you were a kid? You were such a picky eater."

Tadase blushed, bringing a small amount of color to his face, and looked away. He didn't want to see the laughter in Ikuto's eyes. He wouldn't be able to bare it. So he instead refused to acknowledge the statement, brushing it off with no regard for it's owner.

"Look at me."

When Tadase made no attempt to do so, Ikuto smirked. He extended his arm and gently turned the blond's head his way. As soon as eye contact was made, Ikuto immediately pulled back his hand, almost as if it had been burned. The agent's eyes were wide, his jaw lax. Tadase's once blank eyes had, in all of a second, become full of a swirling hatred that petrified even Ikuto.

"Why…?"

"…Wouldn't you, too, if you where in this hell?"

* * *

"Rima… I don't know what to do anymore."

"…"

"I can't really explain it…," Utau bit down on her index finger, not really thinking about her actions. She moved to the couch, her phone still pressed against her ear. "But… Something is just not right."

"I don't know the details, but…," Rima started, her soft voice soothing to Utau's wrecked nerves. "I'm sure things will start to look better soon. Here, too."

Utau felt her throat tighten and dry. She choked on any words she would have said, finding it far too hard to lie to Rima. She had managed to avoid a major panic but was still shaken. She hated it. She hated having to lie to the guardian. But Rima couldn't know the truth.

One deep breath and heavy pause later, she finally managed it.

"…You haven't found Tadase yet?"

"No…" Rima's voice seemed to, all at once, loose its calm and serene tone. She seemed tired and maybe just a little frustrated. Utau hated it. She really, really hated it. "Everyone here is tripping over their own feet to find him. I worry for Hinamori, Yuiki, Souma, and Fujisaki. They're completely devastated."

"…Is that so."

"…"

"…"

"Utau, I know you're hiding something."

Utau froze, her eyes growing wide in disbelief. An awful feeling crept into her stomach, twisting and turning. It was almost enough to make Utau scream. But she didn't. She sat still and held her breath, waiting for the younger girl to continue. Utau was too shocked to think of anything to say or even defend herself.

"Rima—!"

"—But I trust you know what you're doing, so I'm not worried." Rima whispered into the receiver. There was a loud crash in the background, causing the guardian to rush a few final words in. "Just be careful. No matter what happens, I'll be with you."

_Click._

"Rima…"

Utau's head lolled to the side, the blonde at a complete loss of words and thought. It had been 3 days. 3 days since she had last seen _him_.

A familiar tune covered the room like a thick fog, briefly clearing the clouded Utau's mind. She flicked open her phone, the tune forced into an abrupt halt. The voice on the other line was exasperated and barely understandable. But it was enough to get the point across.

Her eyes narrowed as she leapt from the couch and raced out the door.

* * *

Ikuto released a heavy sigh as he reclined back into his chair, the hard plastic rigid and uncomfortable against his body. The dull, monotonous murmur of men never ceased to bore him. He had some how been suckered into a meeting at headquarters; a meeting that Ikuto knew they knew he was paying no attention to. The only thing he seemed to be interested in as of late was the case of Hotori Tadase.

This common knowledge seemed to bother Utau. It was very unlike his sister to actually br compassionate to anyone Ikuto took a fancy to. But she cared for Tadase. Probably a bit more then she should.

Ikuto had been receiving odd reports lately. The agents that usually monitored Tadase's behavior had told him that the former guardian had become uncharacteristically quiet.

As the main leaders of Easter entered a fierce debate, Ikuto chose to remain as oblivious as he had been before. Until, that is, a certain sentence caught his attention, a very hard thing to do.

"We should just kill the Hotori. He's of no use to us."

"Of course we need him. We'll use him as a bargaining chip later." A voice retorted, chastising.

"I think," Ikuto took the initiative, surprising the agents around him. "… We need him. He—."

The door swept open and Utau dashed in.

"Ikuto! Tadase… He…!" Utau said, her voice sounding like she was wavering close to tears. She stumbled over her own feet, landing by the boy's chair. She sobbed with dry heaves, her face blotchy and red. The Easter Agents stopped mid sentence to watch the unfurling drama with mild interest. Utau was known by one and all as the silent and stoic agent; the single unwavering soul. She shattered this assumption all at once as a single tear trailed down her cheek.

"What?" Ikuto clenched his jaw together, ignoring the painfully inquisitive looks on his comrade's faces. He rose to his feet, as he could tell the matter was an urgent one. Ikuto hoped for the best… but Utau's actions only suggested the worst. Then the whispering started. Ikuto grabbed his sister's arm, hoisting her up and out of the room. Once in the hallway, he spoke in hushed tones.

"What happened?"

"Oh god…," She whimpered, unable to meet his gaze. "Ikuto… I just wa-walked in and then h-he was just s-so… _soi cold/i_." Utau paused, closing her eyes and slinking down the wall to the floor. "…Th-there was so much blood…"

Of the million and one scenarios that had played out in Ikuto's head over the past few days, this was the worst. It was something he had never wanted, never wished on Tadase. Christ, he would never wish on anyone. But if his understanding was correct, he needed to leave right away, no matter what the other agents thought of him. They could vote him out of Easter for all he honestly cared at the moment.

Ikuto cursed incoherently under his breath, a contradiction to Utau's sudden silence. That idiot. Why did he resort to something that stupid? Ikuto left his sister to her break down and sprinted down the halls in frenzy. Easter head quarters was a puzzle of twisting hallways and dead ends that only an experienced agent like himself could navigate without losing himself in an instant.

Sooner than he had initially wished, the boy reached Tadase's room. He flung the door open with little to no regard for its inhabitants.

What he saw was a mess.

The floor was covered in puddles of the substance that stuck to the bottom of his shoes, staining them a deep crimson. Smears of handprints covered the walls. It reminded Ikuto of the time many years ago when Tadase would finger-paint similar patterns. It was terribly ironic how situations could change yet remain the same the whole time through. What may be described as innocence could be mistaken for something so much more meaningful than that.

Finally forcing himself to bring out the strength needed to look upon the horrific sight, Ikuto cringed. The once starch white, crisp sheets had been stained the god damn red. They lay crumpled on the floor, forgotten, as an elderly doctor hovered over Tadase, obscuring the boy from Ikuto's eyes. The agent wasn't sure if he was thankful or just annoyed by the fact he had yet to get to the point of the matter.

"What's going on here?"

"He's going into Hemorrhagic shock." The man replied, quietly. The elderly man was busy preparing an I.V., barely pausing as he punctured Tadase's skin with the needle.

"What?" Ikuto managed, the thick smell of blood making him slightly nauseous. Had his nose not been so sensitive, there would be much more inquiring involved. Unfortunately, this was not quite the case and Ikuto wished to keep details to a minimum if possible. He made a brave attempt to hold his breath, only to find his head a bit fuzzier than it had been before. "…What did he do?"

He was worried. Worried sick. But each time he felt that anxious pull in his chest, he reminded himself that Tadase would be okay. That he had to be. The old man glanced at him, curious to see if he really wanted to know. Ikuto nodded, but that was all he could manage. Even that, actually, was hard.

"Bit his tongue." The answer was in a monotone, barely rising over the steady beep of the heart rate monitor. He said it in a flat-honest way, picking up on Ikuto's distress. "Suicide attempt."

The Easter agent blinked, then blinked again. It was the closest he'd been to crying in a long, long time. But much more than upset, he was shocked. _Suicide? _Tadase…? Was that even possible? Ikuto had never really thought Tadase to be the type of person to do something so…drastic. He swallowed, hard, and backed away from the bed. Until now, he had been able to resist the urge to draw his eyes to the boy's face.

But he had caved in, mouth pursed into a thin line, as he registered the pale face among the overbearing red. Tadase's mouth was stained crimson, a few drops having had rolled down his cheek, only to disappear behind his bangs. Ikuto was just thankful the boy's eyes had been closed. He had winced as the doctor pried open Tadase's mouth to perform emergency operations in order to stop the flow of blood.

Utau sobbed from the doorway, her hands covering her face to hide the probable expression of horror. It took five more minutes for the doctor to finish up; dabbing at the ex-guardian's parted lips with a damp towel. Before he had left for good, he had been kind enough to supply Ikuto with a number of bottles, mostly anti-depressants.

"_Just incase._" He had said with a grim look in his eye.

The man wasted no time in rushing away as soon as he had glimpsed the expression on Ikuto's face. The agent threw the bottles to the floor, his anger level rapidly rising. He grabbed the unconscious blond by his considerably bloody collar. Since he was not chained, Tadase was yanked into a sitting position.

"You idiot… what the hell were you thinking?"

The blond's eyes quivered in their sockets but did not open. There was no other reaction. What Utau now felt was a different kind of scared. Completely unsatisfied, Ikuto scowled and shoved the boy back down onto the bed. He stalked from the room, leaving the door wide open.

Utau remained by the door frame for a short moment, sending a final shaky glance at Tadase, before finally leaving the room, now worried about both boys.

* * *

One month had passed.

"…Ikuto."

"What?"

"He can't go on like this."

"Since when did you care?"

"Ikuto, he's our cousin. It's… horrible to see him like this. He never used to do things like this, and you know it."

"He does it to himself."

"…"

Utau sighed, bitter from defeat, as she stood by her brother's bed. She noticed the disturbingly complete lack of emotion on his face.

"His friends gave up looking for him."

"Yeah." Ikuto mused, now only half listening.

"… Kairi told Yukari they don't even talk about him anymore."

"Surprising."

"What's wrong with you?" Utau was frustrated now, a small frown tugging at her soft complexion. "For the last month, you won't even look at me when I try to talk to you… All you do is avoid the topic."

Ikuto flinched, his eyes narrowing as he remained determined to say nothing. He couldn't allow himself to give in, for his sister's sake. If he did something, rash, she would be the first person Easter went to for answers. It didn't matter what it took to get them, he supposed. Her tone of voice was, if not surprising, then somewhat cold. He continued to keep his eyes averted.

Utau's steady breathing soon turned into strained gasps. All of a sudden, an immense wave of hate for her brother swept over her, leaving a bitter taste in her mouth in its wake. She somehow found herself on her knees, the cool wooden floor chilling to her skin.

"Ikuto." Her voice softened, loosing its icy monotone. "He doesn't want to live anymore. Don't you… don't you care about that?"

He finally looked at her. And for a while, it was all he did. His sister, once so indifferent to everyone around them, had changed. She cared. And not only that, she had just realized the firm reality of the situation. He was the only one to blame.

It was his entire fault.

By now, Utau looked like she was on the verge of pleading, the only thing holding her back was the fact Ikuto seemed to be deep in thought. Ikuto couldn't believe this was the same person that had, only weeks ago, had not thought twice as she ran head first into a battle at full force. The same person that would not have batted an eye lash while killing for the sake of Ikuto.

He had, whether aware of it or not, urged her into that cocoon. Because of him, she had changed from her innocent and simplistic child hood mentality to a completely different person.

He was confused.

"I'm going to visit him." She said, mostly to herself. "He needs someone to help him through this."

Utau stood, briefly sliding the back of her hand across her closed eyes. Her mind was set as she left the room. Ikuto soon found himself alone and with an awkward new feeling of self-loathing. If only he had just left Tadase alone that day at the park… If he had just ignored his orders and had walked away…

That would have been one less life he had ruined.

* * *

Yep yep yep. It's all over now, you know? I've tried so hard to keep it together. I've even counted the seconds of the minutes of the hours of the days, so don't you dare say I haven't tried. I told myself to wait. I told myself I would be fine and everyone else would be fine too. But not now. No, this isn't going to work anymore because something is gonna break and crush us all like bugs. You'll see.

It's not fine, you know? He's taunting me. The pressure is increasing. I can't take much more of this. Soon the seams will burst and…and…

That sounds kind of appropriate for this situation, don't you think? Yeah. Well. I do. You know?

Yeah. I think you do know.

Appreciation

I appreciate a lot of things. Except being stuck here. But hell, life is pretty good. I wonder if I can continue to trick them for a while. Think I can do it? I think I can. Ahahahhahaha yessss. I think I can. I think I can. I think I can.

Well, fuck that. Of course I can. I'll play with them. I'll make them think they've won. You think that's mean? Really…?

Like I care. They deserve it. They all deserve it, you know? Of course you do, you're not stupid. Not at all. No… they are the ones who can't even see what's coming to them. What idiots. What fools. I'll crush them. Before they can crush me, too. It'll be a funny sight, you know. Me standing there all happy and smiley and them dead on the floor with their limbs all chopped off and stuff.

Doesn't that sound simply delightful?

I think it does.

They'll regret this. I'll make them regret this.


End file.
